Is the Federal Legalization of Marijuana Getting Closer?

The Marijuana Justice Act has been introduced in both the House (HR 1456) and the Senate (S.597)

The bill would remove marijuana from the US Controlled Substances Act, thereby ending the federal criminalization of cannabis—a designation that has held back serious medical research about the value of cannabis in the U.S.

It also incentivize states to mitigate existing and ongoing racial disparities in state-level marijuana arrests, expunges federal convictions specific to marijuana possession, allows individuals currently serving time in federal prison for marijuana-related violations to petition the court for resentencing and creates a community reinvestment fund to invest in communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs.

10 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use—and medical marijuana and other limited uses of cannabis are now approved in 33 states plus the District of Columbia.

The District of Columbia and 10 states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington — have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, Michigan voters approved a ballot measure permitting adults age 21 and over to purchase and possess recreational-use marijuana. Vermont became the first state earlier this year to legalize marijuana for recreational use through the legislative process, rather than via a ballot measure. Vermont’s law allows for adults age 21 and over to grow and possess small amounts of cannabis. However, it does not permit the sale of nonmedical cannabis. Some other state laws similarly decriminalized marijuana but did not initially legalize retail sales.

Some medical marijuana laws are broader than others, with types of medical conditions that allow for treatment varying from state to state. Louisiana, West Virginia and a few other states allow only for cannabis-infused products, such as oils or pills. Other states have passed narrow laws allowing residents to possess cannabis only if they suffer from select medical illnesses.

“There’s an emerging federal consensus regarding how the United States is going to end prohibition,” said Justin Strekal, Political for NORML which has been working for nearly fifty years to legalize marijuana. Strekal urged people to contact their House representative and Senators urging passage of the bills.

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Say a thank you to whoever beat petey sessions. That’s the reason theres progress on pot. Is because he’s gone.

28 days ago

Swami Prem Kavyo

Way past time for this to happen. Arresting people for possession of plant material that is legal for adults in ten states, and considered medication in more than 30 states is unfair. End this injustice now!

Part 2. CBD oil it’s not regulated by the FDA. So if it says a certain % of CBD oil there is no guarantee that that percentage is in there or what you’re buying. Matter of fact sellers in trouble for advertising false claims of what the CBD oil can do. CBD oil more expensive than opiates . Medical marijuana cost is very expensive, I don’t kn from experience but I’ve watched YouTube videos of people that purchased it & will tell you the cost of each item that they purchased the name of it & how it work for their pain. Just ask YouTube for videos of people in pain who bought medical marijuana. Not all medical marijuana has THC in it. It also depends on the state that you live in if it has THC in the product. Not all medical marijuana is smoked. It comes in candy, liquid, eatables. I’ve been trying to keep up with the options for pain. So far we’re S.O.L I believe the government wants marijuana because like Senators have said you can’t overdose on it and it’s very costly and taxable. But maybe in some states in some health conditions both opiates / marijuana will be allowed. Also it’s up to you if you have a pain management doctor that will allow you to have medical marijuana. Seems they are forcing people in to surgeries to get out of pain when opiates would sometimes B as efficient BC operations don’t always work & still remain in pain. Surgeries wood cost Insurance even more money . Again doesn’t make sense. Insurance claim they save money in the long run. How does that make sense when no one knows how long an individual will live.

GW Pharmaceuticals CEO Justin Gover soon-to-launch made from cannabidiol for seizures. He says they are far off for medications that work for pain. Please view video on YouTube April 30th 2018( full CNN documentary weed part 4 with Dr. Sanjay Gupta) this will tell you the Senators that are for and those against. Very informative information that’s worth taking a look at. Former Senator Patrick Kennedy who used to be an addict to opiates said to get medicine to the people it had to go about it the way they’ve always gone about it & that’s thru the NIH research, clinical trials, FDA approval. If he is saying this that the FDA has all medications approve this way then that means that the FDA approved opiates but they’re putting the blame on the manufacturers. Representative senator brakey says doing a trade from narcotics to a plant-based that no one can overdose that’s not a bad trade. He says people are making their own choices to break addiction to opiates. He wants to add opiates addiction to States list of qualifying conditions for the use of medical marijuana. So he is stating that anyone that uses opiates is addicted and is an addict. Another person called researcher posted 2 articles back on here that that the mental diagnosis of dependence has been changed to addiction. On the video it says that research has not been done by the government on medical marijuana for the treatment of pain. Basically no research FDA will not approve. Yet using marijuana in other States so that’s confusing.

1 month ago

Becky Strike

I cant even read most of this. I have so much pain I cant do anything. I cant believe my government would be uncaring to allow people to hurt. I have a pain pump goes only to my legs and that has stopped working.They test it but I am not having the relief i used to get. They recently did lidocaine injections in 8 area of my lower spine for a test to see if i would get relief from have the nerves burnt off. I woke up paralyzed the next morning with a horrible smell that i cant get rid of.My life is back to pure hell. Cant eat, cant drink, I have this constant horrible smell no one else can smell and have been admitted 3 times in the past month. They calm everything down and then send me out the door again with out anything to help with the pain with yesterday being the last admission i can have.My pain clinic refuses to give any oral pain meds and it took forever to get into the pain clinic. I tried to read the comments in this newletters and only was able, because of pain, to read more than a little of the comments.

1 month ago

VICTORIA FONSECA

I know there is a lot of people in pain and in use of some relief of their pain, I am one who has has had several back and neck surgeries with screw and plates and I have nerve damage causing severe pain and arthritis,and I also take my pain med’s but what I don’t agree is recreational use of Marijuana for just anyone to use while they try to take my pain med’s away and I follow the law and the it is prescribed,I have to put up with people who love to a high in my neighborhood and I get very sick from the smell it stinks and comes into my apartment,if people are in so much pain then why can’t they just take CBD oil or elixir instead of the high,there is more deaths from the marijuana mixed with other things then the opioids that are controlled by a doctor,if the fed’s allow it to pass all hell is going to break loose there will not be any control over the use,and know I don’t hate but I rather be in control over my thoughts then to be in a state of mind where I can’t even process things and have no control and couldn’t react quick enough to make a rational decision

1 month ago

Thomas Wayne Kidd

I tried it as a young man but never liked it. It doesn’t work for chronic pain, in my case anyway. My Narcolepsy brain and central nervous system will only be aggravated by it, and I can’t tolerate the smell of burning rags. Why would anyone want to feel stupid.all the time? I am still for legalizing if. It was one of the most insane acts our government did since Prohibition. Those who can benefit from it and get pain relief good for them. One problem is that to many people will smoke it from the time they get up till they go to bed. I will be 67 in July and have watched people abuse a about everything! Opioid pain medication must be given back to people in chronic pain daily. We have had about every patient right violated and the doctor for the most part just don’t care. Compassion and empathy must return to the medical profession and elected officials, but I don’t actually have much confidence that it will happen soon. This is not my first round of abuse by those who should know better. 14 years ago my wife and I were tned out of the pain clinic where he went, and I was the only one who had Medicare at the time and only one on Social Security. I had no choice but to share my Methadone with her. This should never have happened to two older people in chronic pain, but it happened! I have not talked to anyone in the medical field about this because I know what would happen! We would both be in terrible shape. My wife and I both suffer from withdrawal the last week of every month because my prescriptions have been reduced from 120- 10 mg tablets per month down to the present of 6O-10 mg tablets. One each. My appointment is this Wednesday the 24th. and I don’t know a clue what will take place. Having Narcolepsy my nervous system could cause me to loose it and punch the doctor or something. Reducing of my pain medication has messed up my treatment of Narcolepsy with Adderall and ProVigel. I am tired of this insane abuse and violations of my rights

1 month ago

Bradley Bill Parker

I believe that many people do appreciate that there is some analgesic benefits from cannabis and that at doe’s indeed work out for some. There are also other recognized therapeutic actions as well and I think that’s fine too. However, outside of the scope for health and symptom benefits there it becomes a recreational drug. Recreate On. WITH SERIOUS Chronic pain the analgesic qualities of medical marijuana ARE FOR Many, Ridiculous in a stupid way. One Cannot Mitigate serious screaming PAIN by smoking a joint. The kind of pain I experience every second requires Much stronger measures and unfortunately for many like myself who can’t work and haven’t been able to work for some time, depleted financially destitute!. We cannot afford to pay the unreasonably High Prices for prescription opioid medications. High Prices DICTATED and CONTROLLED by a particular kind of nasty CRIMINAL who are referred to as a “pharmacy manager,, ? (I never heard of it myself until a few days ago) MIDDLE MAN FAT CATS! With annual revenue’s of billions and billions$. This part of the pie was supposed to save money? Ha ha ha ha ha, ALL [edit]!, And with yanking that kind of DOE $ for itself THEY are still able to save money on prescription costs?. THERE are a lot of THESE parasite pharmacy managers out there But it’s up at the top of the maggot chain where the Serious FINANCIAL MILKING takes place. BUT WHAT The hell ! Even if we could afford the costs, THEIRS that other Political Bureaucratic BUMBLING ROADBLOCK in the WAY!, UN PRESCRIBABLE OPIOID MEDICATIONS!. You cannot get a prescription for something that is currently not being prescribed at this INSANE POINT IN TIME. And I am Not TAKING A BEGGING BAG around my state to shop for some Mill House STINK HOLE clinic with GOD Only Knows who or what is inside doing the work?. THANKS For Letting me posT Sincerely Bradley Bill Parker

1 month ago

Robert

Is the Federal Legalization of Marijuana Getting Closer? You Bet it is.
As close as Franklin D. Roosevelt was to repealing the 18th Amendment & Vollstead Act in 1933, the high water mark of the Great Depression.

The heck with public safety (90% THC wax). The drug Alcohol still takes 90,000+ American lives every year, but look at the tax revenue.
Do you think FDR was going to let Al Capone keep all that dough?

We do not have a clue what the long term effects are going to be on recreational users, NOT pain sufferers.

1 month ago

Janice Lacerenza

Legalizing marijuana is a huge mistake. In many cases user’s get bored of the “high” & move on to other drugs/narcotics. Research has shown high levels of THC burn out brain cells over time as well.
I myself, am highly allergic to THC. The 3x’s I tried it & the one time inhaling only fumes at a concert each of these times landed me in the ER w/convulsions!
Now days who knows what extra “filler” drugs could be in it.

I am definitely a pro marijuana advocate, although I don’t use it myself. Not that I have not tried . As I know most of the CPP would try anything to just have a minute of pain free time again. I could not get tolerable to the way it made me feel. I would not be able to do anything but feel lazy. We have tried different strains, and various dosing. I was praying for one of the various types to work for me. I am very grateful that this is happening because of how many people it does help. This will save so many peoples lives, and end the suffering that so many of us are in now. It is extremely disheartening for me, as I am sure it is for millions to go from having a functional active lifestyle and a good quality of life, to a non existent one almost over night.
The federal took our meds and made everything so much worse than just addicts dieing from their illegal drug overdoses, passing this on the federal level is the least they can do.

1 month ago

Susan

We want to push for decriminalization, not legalization. Look at the mess Canada’s “legal pot” is in: cannabis companies can’t brand, market, or otherwise distinguish their products from their competitors’. The Canadian Fed has extremely strict dosing laws as well. It is, essentially, socialized (that is, government run).

WE want FREEDOM: I want a choice of brands, strengths, products. I want to be able to access concentrates and whatever other innovation might be developed. I want MORE choices, not fewer of them. And the 35+% tax MUST COME DOWN…it’s only harming the poor and is responsible for the still-thriving black market.

1 month ago

Rosalind Rivera

This may be a good alternative or additional source of alleviating pain for many. It will do me personally no good. As a Christian and for other personal reasons, I will never avail myself of this type of drug.